Greece – Golden Visa

Greece: The perfect choice for residency

Distinguished by its classical heritage, historic landmarks, and rich Mediterranean traditions, Greece occupies a sun-drenched peninsula at the crossroads of Southern Europe. Framed by crystal-clear waters and dotted with iconic archipelagos—such as the Cyclades and the Ionian Islands—the country attracts tens of millions of international travelers each season. With its historic, energetic capital in Athens, Greece offers a welcoming, secure, and family-oriented environment for international investors seeking long-term European settlement.

The Greek Golden Visa program

Through strategic capital deployment into local real estate, foreign nationals can obtain an initial 5-year renewable residence permit under the Greek Golden Visa framework. Introduced under Law 4251/2014 and expanded via Law 4332/2015, the legislation allows non-EU individuals and their family members to secure permanent resident status by acquiring qualifying domestic property from €250,000.

As long as the title deed remains registered in the investor's name, the residency status can be renewed every five years indefinitely. Crucially, the authority cannot reject or cancel a permit renewal due to the investor’s physical absence from Greece, granting complete lifestyle freedom.

Eligibility

To qualify for the Greek Golden Visa initiative, the prospective investor must:

• Hold primary citizenship from a non-European Union, non-EEA nation.
• Maintain a valid international passport.
• Possess an unblemished background free from any criminal record.
• Execute an approved property acquisition that meets statutory capital thresholds.
• Include qualifying family dependents, encompassing a legal spouse, dependent children up to 21 years of age, biological parents, and parents-in-law.

Investment

1. Mandatory Minimum Capital: A statutory real estate purchase of at least €250,000 in qualifying property.
2. Property Transfer Tax: Standard statutory transfer tax rate of 3.09% calculated on the transaction value.
3. Legal Representation Fees: Legal handling fees of €600 per individual family dependent.
4. Land Registry & Cadastral Costs: Official title registration charges assessed at approximately 0.5%.
5. Government Administrative Levies: State filing fee of €500 per adult petitioner.

Benefits

The Greek Golden Visa framework offers distinct lifestyle, mobility, and asset protection advantages:

1. Dual Nationality Permitted: Applicants can preserve their native citizenship without restriction, as Greece fully honors dual status.
2. European Union & Strategic Security: Provides long-term residency status within an established EU and NATO member state.
3. Zero Physical Stay Mandates: No mandatory physical presence or relocation obligations before, during, or after the permit grant.
4. Open Nationality Access: The program maintains broad international accessibility with no exclusions based on origin.
5. European Mobility & Settlement Freedom: Unrestricted freedom to reside across Greece, pursue education or business enterprise in Europe, and transit freely throughout the Schengen Area.
6. Commercial Rights: Freedom to open private and corporate bank accounts, form Greek corporations, and generate long-term rental income.
7. Social Infrastructure: Direct family access to Greece’s accredited national healthcare system and private international educational institutes.
8. Visa-Free Travel Privileges: Frictionless, visa-exempt transit across Europe’s 29 border-free Schengen destinations, including Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

How to apply?

1. Preliminary Clearance & Document Preparation: Comprehensive background and source-of-funds verification is conducted, followed by the assembly and apostille certification of all necessary civil and legal paperwork.
2. Consular Entry Visa: The applicant secures a Schengen entry visa through their local Greek consulate or embassy where required.
3. Property Sourcing & Transaction Oversight: Complete guidance is provided to identify qualifying real estate assets, perform legal title searches, and draft the formal purchase contracts.
4. Initial Travel & Filing: The investor travels to Greece to secure formal entry endorsements and open the case file with immigration authorities.
5. Capital Settlement & Tax Formalities: Full settlement of the property acquisition funds, municipal recording fees, and state property transfer levies.
6. Biometrics & Permit Delivery: Upon official review and approval of the submitted dossier, biometric residency cards are issued to the primary applicant and all registered family members.